Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:43:03-1:44:49

Why a snorkel-equipped Type VII could decide a World War I campaign

Late Type VII submarines with snorkels would be supportable by Imperial Germany yet extremely difficult for World War I anti-submarine forces to counter.

Commerce RaidingGerman NavySnorkelsSubmarine WarfareType UB III U-BoatType VII U-BoatWorld War I
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Question

Which World War II German warship design would have the greatest impact if taken back to World War I?

Short answer

A late Type VII U-boat with a snorkel would be reproducible, supportable, and potentially war-winning against contemporary trade defenses.

Notes

The preferred German design for this time-travel scenario is a late Type VII U-boat with a snorkel. Recharging batteries with the diesel engines while submerged would remove much of the exposure that World War I defenses depended on. Its lineage from the UB III is offered as a reason Imperial Germany could reproduce and sustain it, provided knowledgeable builders also arrived. That supportability distinguishes it from the more demanding Type XXI or a transferred Bismarck. Scharnhorst and Deutschland would be formidable contemporary surface combatants, but the Type VII is judged capable of threatening Britain's maritime supply on a war-winning scale.